Means for protecting marine structures against the effect of waves



April 17, 1962 Filed Oct. 25, 1957 H. w. OLSEN 3,029,606 MEANS FOR PROTECTING MARINE STRUCTURES AGAINST THE EFFECT OF WAVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 17, 1962 Filed Oct. 25, 1957 H. w. OLSEN 3,029,606 MEANS FOR PROTECTING MARINE STRUCTURES AGAINST THE EFFECT OF WAVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1: 3. B O \\0\ Z If) 0'- KQQWKQQ; /4 Wen/6r: L'lllllll I I/154 United States Patent 3,029,606 MEANS FOR PROTECTING MARINE STRUCTURES AGAINST TIE EFFECT OF WAVES Horace W. Olsen, 2038 North Blvd., Houston, Tex. Filed Oct. 25, 1957, Ser. No. 692,313 2 Claims. (Cl. 61-5),

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in what broadly may be called breakwaters, and the principal object of the invention is to protect various types of landing docks, platforms and similar other installations against the destructive effects of breaking water waves.

More specifically, the invention primarily concerns itself with protection of off-shore drilling platforms or oil.- shore radar platforms, although the use of the invention is by no means confined to this environment and the same may be used generally for the protection of any marine installation or structure, whether on shore or in water, including floating equipment such as anchored barges or ships.

It is generally recognized that the rise and fall of water in swells is not as hazardous or destructive as breaking waves. The breaking of wave crests may be minimized and even prevented by increasing the surface tension or viscosity of water, such as by permitting a film of oil to spread thereon, this being a well known aid to ship operations in violent seas. However, as a matter of continuous protection, it obviously would be impractical to maintain a film of oil around the various marine installations and structures to be protected, and the present invention, therefore, facilitates such continuous protection without requiring oil or other dispersible material in its use.

Briefly stated, the invention contemplates the provision of a buoyant, film-like and flexible sheet of material which is adapted to be positioned at the surface of water adjacent the structure to be protected, means being provided for movably anchoring the sheet in position so that it may rise and fall with water waves but effectively control the breaking of the wave crests, whereby the protected structure is virtually free from the destructive effect of the breaking waves.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the invention in use;

' FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the material sheet used in the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional detail, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in FIG- URE 2;

FlGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the sheet; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 55 in FIGURE 4.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to FIGURE 1 thereof, the general reference numeral 1b designates any on-shore or offshore installation or structure which is to be protected against the effect of water waves, in the illustrated instance, the same being in the form of an off-shore drilling platform of a conventional type.

The protecting means according to the invention are in the nature of a blanket, positioned on the surface of water surrounding the structure It such a blanket being composed of any suitable number of individual sheets 11. Each of these sheets is buoyant, flexible and relatively thin or film-like in relation to its area, and may be made of certain rubbers or plastics having suitable properties for this purpose. The sheet may be a homogeneous solid such as synthetic rubber with a light weight filler of small gas-filled spheres of plastic or other suitable material, but preferably, as shown-in FIGURES 3 and 5, the sheet comprises upper and lower rubber or plastic layers 12, 13 which are highly resistant to weather, and an intermediate filler 14 of cellular rubber or other suitable material, with non-communicating voids therebetween.

The sheet 11 is substantially buoyant as aforesaid and its buoyancy is further increased by providing the sheet adjacent its marginal edges with a hermetically sealed tubular ducti15 which functions as air pocket means and which may be filled with compressed air through a hollow needle or a suitable valve (not shown). The duct when so filled under moderate pressure will have a constant tendency to maintain itself in a straight line so as to spread the sheet 11 to its full extent. The duct may be formed integrally with the layers 12, 13 as shown in FIGURE 3, and apart from providing air pocket means, the duct also serves to prevent the edges of the sheet from tearing. If desired, additional ducts, similar to the duct 15, may be provided in spaced, crossing relation on the main body portion of the sheet as indicated at 15a, in addition to the marginal duct.

The sheet 11 is also provided with a plurality of openings or apertures 16, preferably arranged in rows as shown, and the layers 12, 13 of the sheet at the edges of these apertures are joined together and reinforced as shown in FIGURE 3, so as to prevent the sheet from tearing. Moreover, the sheet is provided with slits 17 which extend between and connect together the adjacent,

alternate apertures 16 as illustrated, and the layers 12,

13 at the edges of the slits 17 are also joined together and reinforced as indicated at 17a, to prevent the same from tearing. The purpose of the apertures 16 and slits 17 will be hereinafter described.

The side edge portions 11a of the sheet are provided with a row of suitably reinforced apertures 18, similar but somewhat smaller than the apertures 16, these apertures (18) being disposed inwardly of'the duct 15 and permitting several sheets of the blanket to be connected together by suitable lacing 19. In this manner, several sheets of the same size and shape, or of different shapes and sizes, may be joined together to form the protective blanket for a marine structure 10 of any size or shape, so that they extend completely around the same. On the other hand, if the structure is located on shore, the protective blanket may extend only to the off-shore side thereof, rather than completely around the same, as will be understood.

In any event, the inner edges 11b of the sheets which are adjacent or contiguous with the structure 10 are laced or otherwise secured thereto by any suitable fastening means (not shown). On the other hand, the outer edges of the sheets are provided with sets of mutually spaced, outwardly extending tongue-shaped or strapshaped elements 20, which may be either secured to the sheet or formed integrally therewith, as illustrated. The outer ends of the elements 20 are suitably secured to an anchoring cable 21 of stainless steel, or the like, which, in turn, is provided at the ends thereof with eyes 22 so that it may be secured, substantially at water level, to conventional spar buoys 23. A certain amount of buoyancy is imparted to the cable 21 by suitable floats 24 which are positioned at longitudinally spaced points on the cable and thus assist the latter in rising and falling with water waves.

When the invention is placed in use, the sheets 11 are installed at the surface of water around the structure 10 to be protected as already described, and the buoyancy of the sheets, enhanced by their inherent flexibility and the Patented Apr. 17, 1962 suspension arrangement afforded by the elements 20'and cables 21, will permit the sheets to rise and fall with the water waves. After each rising action, the elements 20' and cables 21 automatically pull the sheets back to a lowered position in readiness for actuation by the succeeding Wave, and the apertures 16 and slits 17 in the sheets will effectively control the breaking of wave crests by permitting passage of water therethrough from the underside to the top of the sheets where it may spill freely and subsequently drain back to the underside, without creating any damaging force. Thus, the structure 10 will be effectively protected against the destructive effect of breaking waves and, at the same time, the controlled passage of water through th openings 16 and slits 17 will prevent the waves from inflicting any damage on the sheets themselves, such as by breaking or tearing.

It is to be noted that if the structure 10 is of a portable nature, the protective blanket of sheets 11 may be transported therewith from one location to another, by simply disconnecting the moorings of the spar buoys 23.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure, and various modifications may b resorted to such as may fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of a marine structure and means for protecting said structure against the effect of water waves, said means comprising a buoyant film-like sheet of flexible material positioned on the surface of water adjacent said structure, said sheet having inner and outer edges and the inner edge thereof being secured to said structure, spar buoys provided at mutually spaced points in the water in spaced relation from the outer edge of the sheet, a substantially horizontal cable connected to and extending between said buoys in substantially spaced parallel relation to the outer edge of said sheet, floats provided at longitudinally spaced points on said cable, and a plurality of flexible straps extending in spaced parallel relation from the outer edge of the sheet outwardly at right angles thereto and having their outer ends secured at spaced points to said cable, said sheet being perforated over its entire area with pairs of adjacently disposed circular openings and with slits extending between the adjacent openings in the respective pairs, said slits being normally closed but adapted to be spread apart and opened by surges of water from the underside to the topside of said sheet and said openings facilitating subsequent drainage of water from above to below th sheet.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said sheet comprises two superposed layers of film-like material and an intermediate filler interposed between said layers, said filler consisting of cellular material with non-communicating voids therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,096,100 Engelhardt et al May 12, 1914 1,100,739 Ipacs June. 23, 1914 1,385,166 .Bagnall July 19, 1921 1,643,691 Bignell Sept. 27, 1927 1,856,332 Hein- May 3, 1932 2,160,449 Weichardt et al May 30, 1939 2,342,773 Wellrnan Feb. 29, 1944 2,584,867 Guarin Feb. 5, 1952 FOREiGN PATENTS 590 Great Britain Jan. 14, 1886 

